


Jail time blues

by AA_S



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-24
Updated: 2013-04-24
Packaged: 2017-12-09 08:32:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/772170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AA_S/pseuds/AA_S
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dwalin meets Dori, it isn't over tea, but over the constant recovery of Nori from a jail cell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Molly coddler

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully someday will be a continued finished fic. Again, I like Dori and I like Dwalin, so Dori/Dwalin and I like Nori being an ass. So there ya go.

The first time he’d met the mollycoddler the Dwarf had come to bring his brother home. He had a pouch of gold in his hands and a dingy cloak around his shoulders, though it didn’t exude the sort of air Dwalin thought the Dwarf was going for. He mumbled under his breathe and pulled at the strings of the thing as if insulted he had to wear it at all.

Dwalin was a high ranked guard and although he didn’t really need to be present, he found it useful to take note of new criminals. He’d learned over time how these thieves tended to be repeat offenders. So there he was, being passed a bag of coins for the thief’s bail and no more than an uninterested glance before Dori turned an icy gaze to Nori, a frown on his lips. Nori rolled his eyes and Dori huffed, his foot beginning an aggravated tapping.

Oh. Dwalin had been watching the scene unfold but had been drawn back from the resounding cling of Dori’s boot. He grunted and fiddled with a ring of keys, found the appropriate one and swung the jail door open.

Dori’s arm twitched, wanting to grab Nori and drag him back home like a babe. He restrained himself though and only glowered at his brother who expressed the same right back. Dori swung an arm for Nori to lead. As they left the only acknowledgement Dwalin got that Dori realized he’d been there at all was half a bow in his general direction, though Dori still wouldn’t look at him, his concentration and mind fully encompassed by the stress of his brother’s criminal behavior.

Dwalin could only assume that Dori had to go find his brother more times than should be necessary, and that the cloak he’d strung over his shoulders was in an attempt to lie about his station so that the ruffians who squatted low in street alleys would leave him alone.

Yes, thought Dwalin, the half-lidded eyes and up-turned nose were clear signs that Dori was of a higher station than he could admit when trailing after his brother. 


	2. Do as I say, not as I do

Dwalin had been right to catalog Nori in his mind all that time ago when the Dwarf had first been caught. His first offense against the guard, but Dwalin was sure the sneak-thief had gotten away with his ways for far longer right under their noses.

When Nori’s crimes began to escalate past pulling gems out of people’s pockets, so too did his bail. And Dori couldn’t make the amount of money necessary to pull his brother out each successive capture.

The first time the bail had gone over Dori’s budget, Dori made a humiliating appeal to Dwalin. He’d gotten on his knees and bowed so low his nose touched the floor. Dwalin was impressed with how Dori did not look pathetic in the least. He did not look like a beggar though he was at the moment.

His back was straight and his robes were pressed; he didn’t have the old gray cloak with him this time.

“He’s troubled is all.” Dori told him, an obvious lie. Dwalin saw the tension that boiled between the two brothers and was certain the problem was more complicated than some vague trouble Dori was trying to convince him of.

The two were at odds and yet, as far as Dwalin could tell, Dori continued returning to the grimy dungeons Nori was thrown into out of more than family obligation. Surely he must love his brother despite everything, or he would have stopped coming at all. Dwalin was sure with how Dori wrinkled his nose that he hated the place.

“No personal quip against you Master Dori,” Dwalin started, glad to have remembered the Dwarfs name. Honestly he hadn’t learned it from Dori himself as he’d never introduced himself to Dwalin, but from another guard whose patrol took him by the Ri’s home.

“But your word isn’t much assurance against how many times you’ve had to bail him out.”

The room went quiet as Dori, still kneeling before Dwalin, conjured a reply.

“I understand that.” He nearly spat this out and if Dwalin could see the look in his eyes, he’d see how exasperated Dori was. How many excuses could he come up with before Nori was stuck permanently to the barred walls?

“I need my brother back home.”

Dori had neither excuses nor any passable good reasons.

At the clink clack of keys Dori was on his feet, hauled up by Nori. Nori’s face was unreadable but he swung an arm around Dori good-naturedly though Dori still looked distress. They left and Dwalin sighed to himself and rubbed a hand over his face.

Why did he let Nori out? The next the weasel was behind bars would Dori think he could manipulate him? He grumbled, but what was done was done. He’d given in easily to the head of house Ri.

Something clicked and he went walking back to his actual task for the day. Dori had spoken in just that way, the way that Balin did, that political reasoning voice, that strange calm way that if anyone else were to employ it they would only get the brunt of Dwalin’s fist. It was commanding in a different way than Dwalin was commanding. Dwalin yelled and, to some creative descriptors, barked at the men under his employ, was loud and firm with his words and wasn’t one to repeat himself.

The way Balin did things was soft and guiding. He’d go over something if you’d missed it and he’d ask if you’d understood or if you’d like it told a different way. But in there, in that was a command. You listened well, or if you’d missed a point you spoke your mistake honestly and once you chose to sit down it was as if you’d signed a contract and whatever Balin told you was what you would do, period. When Dwalin was a boy Balin had yet to perfect this so he’d run and chase and yell at Dwalin when he was bad. But once he began learning the ways of being an advisor, why, he begun stopping Dwalin short without Dwalin ever having realized.

He’d end his sentences with things like, “Alright?”, “Okay?”, “Do you understand?”, and by some mystical force Dwalin couldn’t snark or sass at his brother, he couldn’t say with a pout, “No!”. He’d say yes, yes Balin I understand, yes okay, yes alright. Or no, no Balin I don’t understand, tell me again?

Dori spoke similarly and it sent Dwalin’s head buzzing. He made a note to himself to sit Balin down with him to play a few rounds of debate. No matter how lovely Dori was Dwalin was not about to allow him to push him from his ultimate duty as a guard. And really, he thought, he doubted Dori would be interested in someone who bent so easily.


	3. Hand for a hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori has to find new ways to bail Nori out of his cell when money runs dry and debts go up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not feel I can take credit for the whole 'take his hand' thing, though I cannot for the life of me remember where I read it. I'm sure it was a fic someplace. Perhaps I will find it again and will be able to link it appropriately.

Dori had continued to make similar appeals for the next round of trouble cases his brother blew in. The guards under Dwalin had begun taking bets on whether Dwalin would finally draw the line and tell Dori that no, he couldn’t take his brother back with only his words to count and no, you need more coin than that, and yes, we will be cutting off one of your brother’s hands this time round.

It was that time. Dwalin had too.

“For the sake of th’ city we can’t have him trailing down the streets doin’ as he pleases every other day. We have to teach thieves lessons. Sometimes they’re hard lessons, but they’ll surely stick.”

Dwalin looked at Nori with a scowl that could curdle milk; a promise in that look that he’d end Nori’s criminal reigns, even if he had to break him.

Dori had one hand cupped over the other, a delicate expression on his face as he opened his mouth, as if he were about to start a chat over tea.

“A hand for a hand.” He piped back.

“….What?” Dwalin turned to him, the question obvious, looking at Dori with some disbelief as he couldn’t help but hear the challenge that was tipped behind Dori’s words.

“I propose an arm’s wrestling match between you and I. If I win I will take Nori back with me as per usual. If you win, Master Dwalin, then you will have your choice of one of Nori’s hands and I will still return home with him, one hand less.”

Dwalin couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. Dori was a Dwarf who fussed over the collar of his robe and made sure he didn’t drag his sleeves. He was round, or, Dwalin had to admit appreciatively, curvy, and the silhouette his robe made didn’t seem to show any sort of outstanding physical strength that could make him confident enough to throw this challenge at him.

And yet this Dwarf was asking him for an arm’s wrestling match. He had to give Dori credit for his courage considering how proudly Dwalin showed his bare muscled arms.

There wasn’t any reason for him to refuse.

“Alright.”

With a swift turn Dori sat on one of the stools edged up to the small table littered with playing cards, left from the earlier guard’s shift.

Dwalin took his seat across from Dori, who turned his head to speak to Nori.

“Nori, would you count us down?”

Nori shrugged and once both Dwarves were in position he did as he’d been asked.

“Three….two….one.” He finished anti-climatically. The match on the other hand was buzzing with intensity.

From one side. Which was Dwalins.

He tried to hide how much effort he was truly pumping into this. But Dori’s hand refused to budge. Dwalin kept focused on their clenched hands, but after a minute with no change he chanced a glance at Dori.

Dori looked bored, but concentrated as well. He felt Dwalin’s glance and returned it with a warm smile that could have been taunting. Dwalin didn’t have time to figure around whether it had been or not, as his arm was thrown to the table with ease.

Needless to say he was speechless.

Dori took his hand back and rubbed it against his other, twisting his hands around irritably at the stick of sweat that had accumulated.

“A deal is a deal Master Dwalin,” Dori clucked as if he were informing Dwalin of his loss and what he was to do afterwards, as if Dori hadn’t told him earlier at all.

“Mmhhm.” Was the most Dwalin could push out. The keys clashed against one another, a turn and tumbling of the lock, and Nori sauntered out of his prison with a cheeky grin on his face. That was a taunt and it was aimed at Dwalin. He growled and Nori laughed. Dori was still preoccupied with his hands, but stood to follow Nori out.

“Be well Master Dwalin.” His words were curt and he was quick to escort himself out after his brother.

Dwalin had continued his usual rounds afterwards, but couldn’t scratch the feeling that was bubbling up in the back of his head. It wasn’t hurt pride or anger he felt. He was familiar with that one, for every time he was within an inch of catching Nori and failed did he feel it. Ever since his match with Dori Dwalin had gotten a bit foggy. It wasn’t the grinding of rocks that a headache brought, no, It was just a little too hot, his vision just a little cloudy. He was shaking his head off and on all the rest of the day like a dog with fleas, attempting to stop his train of thought that led straight to how Dori must look beneath his robes.

He ground his teeth together, nearly thinking what a shame it was that Nori would be off the streets for a few weeks thus giving Dwalin no excuse whatsoever to see the burglar’s handsome older brother. 


End file.
